Kei hea rakoe, Romeo — timely twist on classic play
“Romeo, Romeo, kei hea rakoe, Romeo.”
This week, to mark Te Wiki o te Reo Maori, instead of hearing Juliet seek her Romeo, Stratford’s glockenspiel will feature the famous lines spoken in te reo Maori.
The te reo Maori version was recorded a few years ago and features Rawinia Henderson as the voice of Hurieta (Juliet), Felix Ashworth as Romeo and Herewini Nopera as the narrator.
The four daily performances feature well-known lines from the play including Juliet’s famous couplet — “Parting is such sweet sorrow, that I shall say goodnight, till it be tomorrow.”
Or, as she says in te reo — “Ka aroha hoki totaua wehenga, ka kı au ‘Po marie’, kia ao ake ra.”